Revival
by LokisLeviJeansandPlaidShirts
Summary: <html><head></head>Near is faced with the deaths of many of his friend, but could some of them have survived? Could L have cheated the note itself?</html>
1. Numbly Calm

L is dead. Kira is dead. Mello, Matt, Watari. Everyone. I am alone. I have won, and my friends are gone. I don't feel the victory. I only feel the satisfaction at their killer's death. Light Yagami is dead. The second L. The real Kira. The man who brought the world to its knees.

Of course, it's time to move on to the next case. I should never dwell on the past, good or no. It's what L would have done, and I am L's successor. It is what I have to do. For the time being, I am in Japan. There could still be something interesting here. They did produce the most powerful serial killing group in the world thus far. Maybe the police have now moved onto something else entertaining.

"Gevanni," I call. Gevanni is smart, and a good asset to my team. He is also loyal. L once said that it's never good to work alone. That is why he had Watari. I think Gevanni will do just fine as my right hand.

He comes to where I sit starting on a new structure of paper swans. I've been fiddling with the small pieces of paper and folding them into birds for five hours and twenty-seven minutes, now. We are in L's headquarters where they investigated the Kira case.

"Yes, Hikaru," he responds, using my new alias. I chose it because it is a fairly common, but not so that it would be obvious, Japanese name from the year I was born.

"Would you put wiretaps on the police's radio-feed and a few cameras in the station, please," I ask, "I would like to know if anything new is going on."

"Yes, sir," he says and turns to walk out.

"There is no need to call me 'sir', Gevanni. My name is just fine. My fake one, at least," I say to him calmly. Although I like respect, I don't want to be indifferent to my friends. L did not usually show this to us or Watari. I think he was just closed off as usual, even though that's not what he really felt.

I place another small swan atop the other. But what do I know? I'm not him.

The pain has since been numb when we first heard of L's and Watari's deaths. With every passing, it's made it even more so. I'm calm, for the most part.

However, here, in L's headquarters. His strange habits leaving small details in every inch of the place. The voice modulators, forgotten candy wrappers, deep indents in chair cushions where he sat crouched on his feet. For a moment, the bandage rips, and a swell of sharp emotion pierces through me. I try to calm myself, again. To feel the gentle numbness.

I see Mello's face, Matt's. I see L. Watari. I see paper birds toppling to the ground. The numb feeling is gone. Only the hole in my chest remains. They collapse with all of the grace of a real swan. I hear a sound. The sound is coming from me. A different kind of pain is burning me from the inside out. It's a broken sound. The sound of someone falling. Falling, falling. The swans fall. Everything is white. Clean. It's all falling. The darkness within me takes the clean whiteness away. The birds are falling. Falling, falling.

I quietly sob. No one is around. There are no cameras. I'm alone. That is good. I shouldn't be reacting like this if I want to truly succeed L. Who could trust someone who breaks like this to be the greatest detective in the world. It's good that no one sees me.

Suddenly, there are footsteps to my right. I freeze. No, I'm not alone. Someone is here, and since the only people who could possibly come into this building are part of the old KPA, Matsuda and the other Japanese policemen who worked on the Kira case, or dead, I do not know who else it could be. My team is back in the US, besides Giovanni. Matsuda and the others are working back in their old jobs. That doesn't necessarily exclude them, but the chances are unlikely. Even if they were here, what could their business be? Their reactions to my behavior would not likely be these calm steady footsteps, either.

Who could it be? I do not look up.

A broom makes a sweep in front of me. It gathers the paper swans into a pile.

A broom? The thought occurs to me without warning. It's a thought I wouldn't dare have. How could I? It's impossible. The idea is absolutely ridiculous. It's even more ludicrous because it's exactly what I want. What I want more than anything. It's something I can never have. Power no one should ever have. So how could it be? But it's there...

Finally, my curiosity takes over. I lift my head.

I see a face I haven't seen for far too long, and I know I was right. Watari. Watari is alive. He stands over me with broom in-hand. Ready to clean up my mess. Suddenly I feel like kid again, more of a child than usual that is, when my eyes are swollen from crying and everything around me is in ruins, but Watari simply cleans up what I wrecked, puts it away, and comforts me until I fall asleep in his arms. He stands over me, now, with that expression of patience he always had when we were children in his orphanage, the look he gives when he is waiting for us to decide.

When he built the Wammy's Home for Orphans, he always gave each child an option. He told them, when they came into the house for the first time, that if they wanted to stay, they could stay. If they wanted to leave, they could. That they would always be welcomed back. He refused to put any of them in the house against their will. Orphanages always turned into prisons when run by people indifferent to the child's wants. So he gave everyone old enough the decision. And almost every child picked him. He wears that expression now. The expression he has when he's waiting for me to decide. Do I accept him? Do I accept he's even alive?

I look into his eyes. Is it really him? I rise from the ground, not breaking eye-contact. I search for anything in his face that seems off, but all I can see is the man who raised me, who was dead and, now, somehow isn't. For the moment, I don't care how to deduce this. I wrap my arms around his waist in a hug. Oh, Watari, how I have missed you. He returns the hug, bending over slightly to reduce the hight-difference. He is warm. I hear his heart thrum softly and regularly underneath the suit. He's alive, and he's here.


	2. This Is Where You Can Reach Me

When I pull back, my mind starts to function again. He's alive, but how. The Shinigami Rem, herself, killed him right before killing L. Then, to further prove they were dead, she died for lengthening the life of Misa who would have been killed by the police when L found out she was the second Kira. L even died in Light's arms and in front of the task force. There is no way he could have lived. Unless...

Unless the Death Note's effects can be reversed. If something so impossible as gods of death and powerful notebooks exist... Maybe miracles do, too. Maybe the Shinigami have a way to reverse death. It's not completely implausible.

However, why would Rem do such a thing? Why would any Shinigami? They are said to be completely detached from human relations. We are purely for their entertainment, but it's obvious Rem had feelings for Misa. That is why she killed L, after all, but she must have known Light's plan for Misa. He did not care for her. He cared only to use her. Misa's fate was signed the moment she chose to look for Kira. She would die as the second Kira in front of the firing squad, she would die at the hand of the one person she loved more than her own life because he doesn't care for her, or she would kill herself after he dies. Rem would not want to cause Misa any more pain than is necessary. Firing squad would be the most painless way for her to go, because she would die believing she was helping Light. Any other way would result in a significant amount of mental torture for the young model. Rem would surely see that.

So would she possibly fake Watari's and L's deaths to bring Kira down before he could hurt Misa? I think for a moment... The possibility of L being alive is probably around 10%.

"Where is L," I ask Watari. He studies me a moment, but doesn't respond.

"Let us talk, Nate. Would you like some tea," he asks politely in a gruff but familiar voice.

"Yes, please. No sugars," I reply. Unlike L, I do not enjoy many sweet things. Chocolate is alright, but I like it dark. My eating habits have always been more of standard than strange.

We go into L's old floor where he slept and where I now reside. Watari used my favorite blend of black tea. I sip at it slowly, savoring the taste. It's the best cup I've had in a long time. "So," I prompt, "start from the beginning."

He sets his cup on the saucer with a clink. "I was watching the cameras set around the building and keeping up with the other Kira investigations going on around the world in a separate floor when I died. L had warned me of the possibility that I could die now that there was Shinigami working with us. He said to have a self-destruct button for all of the files on my computer. In the case of my death, I was to delete everything. And I did. A few days later, I woke up in a hotel room. There was a note that said 'Stay hidden', and I did not question who, because I did not need to know. All I did know is that I was somehow brought back to life, I was dead for three days, and I needed to stay hidden, even from you and the home," he finishes. It seems too simple. Watari doesn't normally take not knowing what is going on so easily.

I take another slow sip of tea before responding, "Do you know if L is alive?"

"I do not know," he says, and I don't pursue it.

"What have you been doing all this time," I ask curiously.

"I have been looking after you, Mello, and Matt. I tried to track L down to see if he was still alive, but, not surprisingly, it was not a fruitful search. I kept up with the Kira case, although it was against my better judgement. I needed to see it through to the end, even if I would not be a part of it," he replies.

I nod. If he is alive, L doesn't want to be found. Understandably, of course. However, the remaining Death Notes were destroyed. Every "Kira" has been arrested or murdered. Even the fans of Kira have started to disappear.

That doesn't matter. Whatever L is hiding from, he has his reasons. I should leave him be and move on to the next case. Gevanni should be back any moment.

"You are welcome to stay here, Watari," I say to him, but he shakes his head.

"I'm going back to the Home tomorrow. I simply thought it was high time to tell you I'm alive and well. It seems I was right, as well. Good luck in your investigations, Near," he says before putting his cup down and heading towards his coat and hat.

Something inside me sinks a little, but I'm glad he's going back. It's a better life for him there, than waiting on me here. It makes me wonder what L is doing, if not decomposing in a grave somewhere. Would he have been tracking my and Mello's whereabouts during our investigation to see who would succeed him? Or to see how the Kira case panned out? Most likely not, because L isn't sentimental. He never showed much personal interest or involvement in our futures, besides the training.

I close my eyes. Why am I thinking so much about this? L is none of my concern. What he does is not my business.


	3. Demons

I return to the work floor to see Gevanni has returned. He is looking at the dozen computer monitors mounted on the wall. They show the federal police station downtown, and, in the corner of each screen, they show the audio-feed. The new director is on the phone in his office. Gevanni is skilled to have been able to set up surveillance in the director's office unnoticed. I tell him to turn on the audio for that camera.

"Yes, the Kira case is completely closed," the director says into the phone. "Yes, we are sure that was the last Kira. Misa Amane committed suicide, Light Yagami was killed, and Taru Mikami is on death row. The Death Notes have been disposed of. Unless the gods of death decide they want to become Kira, too, we don't have to worry about this anymore. It is closed." There is a pause. "No I don't think the Shinigami want to become Kira. Look, I'm rather busy, and if you don't mind, I have better things to do than to talk to thick-headed-"

I change the audio over to the conference room where two young agents are speaking in what appears to be urgent conversation. The woman says, "We can't meet again tonight, I'm working." I change it again. Why does everyone have to be so boring?

I surf the screens for a few minutes before seeing a commotion in the lobby. A man, or more accurately, a giant, is flanked by four agents dressed in tactic gear. He is tall, around seven feet by my judgement, and thickly muscled. His head is bald and cleanly shaven, wearing a crisp pin-striped suit. He looks like a goon straight out of an old 30s movie. The crowd parts as they walk stiffly towards the elevator. I watch as they take him to the interrogation room.

When he's finally cuffed to the table, I turn the audio on and wait to hear what he was brought in for. He looks like a mob-boss. What on earth is he doing here? I try to spot any neck-tattoos or anything that might indicate gang-relations, but he is well concealed by the tailored suit.

It takes thirty minutes before an agent walks into the room. He offers the man water but does not make a move to get any. The man remains silent. He sits straight, almost regally in the small chair, making it seem more like a throne room than an interrogation room.

The agent, whom I recognize as Agent Jun, tries to seem confident. He does not take the seat across from the captive. "So, Sadao, did you kill them," Jun asks coolly. Sadao remains stony silent. I deflate a little. I thought it would be a bit more interesting than this.

"Did you," the convict asks in a low voice.

My attention snaps back to Sadao. That was not what I expected him to say. Is Agent Jun related to the people this strange man supposedly killed? That would be the obvious answer, but... This man does not seem accusatory. His expression is very calm but not cold or calculating. I see no malice in this man. That does not excuse him from the accusation Agent Jun has deemed him with, but it now seems unlikely. So what is he trying to do? Trying to get the upper hand in the interrogation maybe? It's not uncommon in traditional technique, but this man is going about it in a manor unfamiliar to me.

"I did not kill my family. But I know who did. Or rather what," he says gravely. "I believe you'd call them demons."

He has been looking down at the table this entire time, but now he lifts his eyes to the agent. Sadao's eyes show deep hatred. He's glaring at Jun as if he did in fact kill his family. "Actually, I'm fairly sure there is on in this room with me."

I can't be sure, but for a second, I think I see a smile flash across Agent Jun's face.

"Demons, Sadao," he says incredulously, "Honestly, do you expect me to believe that?"

He looks back down to the table. He does really believe in these... Demons. He thinks Agent Jun is one of them. Normally, I would dismiss such ideas as insanity due to grief, but with Shinigami running around and the dead back to life, what can I be sure of? Could this man have lost his family to a demon?

Either way, I've found my case.

I ask Gevanni for a phone and to find Agent Jun's number. In a matter of minutes, I'm listening to the dial in wait. I watch the screen as another agent, whom I assume was given responsibility for it while Jun was busy, picks up the other end. I tell her who I am. The line goes silent. A few seconds later she bursts through the door on screen offering a phone to him. He looks irritated but takes it from her.

"Yes, who is this," he asks frustratedly.

"This is N. I'd like to speak with you a moment," I reply calmly. For a second he seems confused, as though he doesn't know who I am, but then his eyes widen and he tells the female agent he has to take the call.

"N, what a surprise! I'm honored to speak with you directly, but might I ask why you called me," he says.

"I want to know the details on the case you are currently working. The one with demons," I specify.

There is shock on his face in the hallway where he takes my call. He is turned towards the camera enough for me to see his jaw slack a moment before setting in a look of annoyance. I guess agents don't like to be spied on. "Why," he asks curtly, all friendliness gone.

"Because I like interesting things," I say, "and this is a very interesting case."

He sighs, "Well, I hate to break it to you, but this oh-so-entertaining case is almost closed. We have more than enough evidence to persecute Sadao Yukimura for the murder of his wife and two sons. Video of him dumping the weapon, his prints at the scene, a witness-"

"I have reason to believe he isn't lying when he says he did not kill them. However, I am curious as to his former gang relations. Does he have any?"

He frowns in confusion, "No. He was in a lower branch of law-enforcement before he quit and took up his own business. He owns a successful pawnshop uptown."

"He is innocent, my friend. I know. I've seen the demons," a voice states solemnly behind me.

The phone drops from my hand. I know that voice. And that is the voice of the greatest detective in the world.


	4. Successor

L approaches the desk slowly. There is no question of his survival. Only how he survived. I smile at him before picking the phone back up and telling Agent Jun I'll see him in an hour at his office. I rise from my chair.

He looks no different than he usually does. Pale skin that almost matches the shade of his baggy white shirt, eyes dark and shadowed by his long hair that stands every-which-way, dark bags under his eyes created through lack of sleep. He's even holding a desert of some Japanese sort. It's the same L that left us years ago. It's the same L that trained me and Mello. The same L that teased me for wearing pajamas everywhere I go, who Mello tried so hard to get approval from, who Matt pranked one day by making his computer meow instead of click every time he pressed the mouse. He and Mello laughed so hard that day. It even got a chuckle out of me.

Here he is in front of me, now telling me that I'm right about this case. I'm on the right track.

"L," I greet, sitting backdown in my chair.

"N," he replies, "I suppose you are wondering how I'm alive." He takes a bite of what looks like a pinkish marshmallow thing. I'll never get used to the food here.

"The thought did occur to me, yes," I say dryly.

He's silent for a moment before walking over to the empty chair next to me and crawling into it. He crouches on his feet in a posture only he could be comfortable in. "Well, as I'm sure you've already deduced by Watari's appearance, there are ways to avoid or recover from the fate of the Death Note. The Shinigami who killed me helped me come back to life. She decided it would be best for me to finish the case and take Light Yagami down before he could hurt Misa. I, of course, would not be able to do that with Light so close to permanently ending my life. Rem came to me and told me of his plans to use her. We decided faking my death would be the best option for Misa Amane and myself.

"But it wouldn't be enough to fake my death. I needed to die. Kira would need to see with his own eyes that I'm dead to be convinced enough to move on. So Rem proposed an idea. She'd heard of an eraser for the note. A Death Eraser that could revive anyone not cremated and still in one piece. The stipulations were that Rem would die mere seconds after she's written my name because she would still technically be lengthening the life of Misa, and most importantly, we did not know where the eraser was or if it had even existed.

"I asked her if anyone from the Shinigami realm would be able to help, and she decided to go and ask around. This was approximately two hours before my death. She returned one hour later with no luck besides a lead. Taro Kagami. He found another of Ryuk's Death Notes and used it unknowingly, accidentally killing five of his classmates. It was then that Ryuk offered him the eraser to undo what had been done. This was many years before Light found the notebook.

"She found Taro in a nursing home. He's nearly ninety-five years old. However, when she searched his room, she found a worn old box. He kept the eraser in there for nearly eighty years, and Rem stole it. When she brought it back, though she told me it would surely work, I wanted to test it. A convict sentenced to death in three days was killed using the note. Then, I erased the name thirty minutes after it was written. The reaction to erasing the name was delayed by an hour instead of 40 seconds, but this would later prove beneficial.

"Finally, the plan was set. Watari and I would die and Rem would erase his name first. We were both be taken to a morgue where the medical examiner was conveniently needed somewhere else at exactly one hour after Watari's name was erased. He knew where to find the eraser and the piece of the note on which my name was written. Then, it was only a matter of paying off a few people and going into hiding," he tells me.

"I suppose then, you thought the Kira case would be what determines who will rightfully succeed you. So, you stayed hidden and let it fall on us," I say, looking towards the ground.

"You did wonderfully, Near," he replies, but he knows that is not what I meant. Mello and Matt died because of this case. It's his fault they are dead.

When I look back up to him, his face looks slightly pained. I wonder if he realized that fact as well.

"So Watari lied about his knowledge of the situation," I change the subject.

"I thought it would be in both of our best interests that he play dumb for the time being," he says, "Only you and he know of my whereabouts."

It makes sense. Rem would do anything to protect Misa, and that would have been the best way to do it. Unfortunately for her, we did not solve the case in time for her to be persecuted along with Light. She had lost her memory of the note, but kept her feelings for him which led her to that building where she jumped. The eraser revived them. They went into hiding. L's successors rose to the occasion and defeated Kira. Now, only Mello and Matt are truly dead with no way to save them. Matt did not die from a death note, and the paper on which Mello's name was written was burned.

I nod in understanding and pick up with my next question, "Demons?"


End file.
